April 2006

What are club drugs?

The term "club drugs" refers to a wide variety of drugs that are often used by teens and young adults at night clubs and all-night dance parties called “raves.” The most widely used club drugs are GHB, Ketamine, Rohypnol, and MDMA (Ecstasy).

GBH
Street names:	G, liquid ecstasy, Grievous Bodily Harm, gib, soap, scoop, nitro
Effects:	GHB is usually abused either for its intoxicating/sedating/euphoria-inducing properties, or for its growth hormone-releasing effects.
Side Effects:	Overdose may result in seizures, coma, and death.
	May also produce withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating

 

Ketamine
Street names:	K, special K, super K, vitamin K, kit-kat, keets, super acid, jet, cat valiums
Effects:	Large doses cause reactions similar to those associated with use of PCP, such as dream-like states and altered perceptions or hallucinations.
Side Effects:	At higher doses, can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems

 

Rohypnol
Street names:	Mexican valium, circles, roofies, la rocha, roche, rophies, R2, rope, forget-me pill
Effects:	Produces sensations of floating outside the body, visual hallucinations, and a dream-like state
Side Effects:	When mixed with alcohol, it can incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault (often known as the “date rape drug”)
	Often produces anterograde amnesia
	May be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants

 

MDMA
Street names:	Ecstasy, X, M, E, XTC, rolls, beans, Clarity, Adam, lover's speed, hug drug
Effects:	Produces effects similar to hallucinogens and stimulants (e.g. energizing effect, distortions in time and sensory perceptions, feelings of peace and happiness and empathy for others)
	Suppresses the desire to eat, drink, or sleep, which is desirable for those wanting to stay up all night and dance
Side Effects:	In low doses, it can cause: faintness, dehydration, muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, chills or sweating, hypertension, and increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature
	In high doses, it can cause: liver, kidney, and heart failure, strokes, and seizures
	It can also have several psychological effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, confusion, disorientation, depression, delusions, mood swings, lapses in memory